Radiator grille and removable screen



Nov. 15, 1966 J. G. JOHNSON ETAL 3,285,321

RADIATOR GRILLE AND REMOVABLE SCREEN 2 Sheet s-Sheet 1 Filed July 2'7, 1964 INVENTORS J G JOHNSON R. D. OBADAL Nov. 15, 1966 J. G. JOHNSON ETAL 3,285,321

RADIATOR GRILLE AND REMOVABLE SCREEN Filed July 2'7, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTORS l .1. e. JOHNSON ,36 R. o. OBADAL United States Patent 3,285,321 RADIATOR GRILLE AND REMOVABLE SCREEN John G. Johnson, Waterloo, and Richard D. Obadal, Cedar Falls, Iowa, assignors to Deere & Company, Moline, Ill., a corporation of Delaware Filed July 27, 1964, Ser. No. 385,434

' 7 Claims. (Cl. 160--104) This invention relates to the grille assembly of a vehicle and more particularly to a radiator 'grille having a removable screen attached thereto for tractors.

It is conventional practice to provide a grille to allow the free flow of air around a Vehicles radiator. Since tractors are generally used under conditions wherein relatively large amounts of dust, leaves, insects, branches, and similar substances are present, it has also been the practice to place a screen between the radiator and the grille to protect the radiator from clogging. However this has necessitated relatively frequent cleaning of the screen, especially on tractors used in surroundings wherein large amounts of foreign particles are present such as in logging or weed cutting operations. Thus the accessibility of the screen has become a factor to consider.

The present invention provides a screen easily detachable from the grille which in turn is easily detachable from the tractor.

Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a radiator screen which can be easily removed for cleaning.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easily removable radiator grille adapted to hold a screen.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an easily detachable radiator grille and screen assembly from which the screen can be easily removed after the assembly is detached.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a radiator grille and screen of simple but rugged construction.

These and other objects of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the detailed description and drawings which follow wherein an embodiment of the present invention is disclosed.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is an exploded view of the grille and screen assembly.

FIG. 2 is a vertical section of the assembled grille and screen taken along line 2-2 of FIG. 1.

Referring now to the drawings, there is shown frame 10 comprising top member 12, side member 14, bottom member 16 and side member 18, bracket 20 is aflixed to the rear of top member 12 extending downward, screw tap 22 extending horizontally through the lower portion of bracket 20. Angling across each frame corner are corner brackets 24 which are also attached to the rear of frame 10.

Grille 26 has the same outward configuration as the interior of frame 10, and is insertable into said frame 10, grille 26 also forming a plurality of apertures 28 across its face. Aflixed to the rear of grille 26 near the lower edge is spacer 30. Lower bracket 32 is attached to the rear of spacer 30 and has upper portion 34 projecting above spacer 30 and lower portion 36 extending below the lower edge of grille 26.

Sreen 40 has approximately the same configuration as grille 26, being insertable into said frame 10, and forms notch 42 on its lower edge accommodating spacer 30', and also forms hole 44 through screen 40' in alignment with screw tap 22. Pin 46 has a thread 48 at one end which mates with screw tap 22, and a shoulder 50 which terminates in knob 52 at the other end, pin 46 also formreceives locking pin 62.

To assemble the grille and screen, screen 40 is placed betweenthe upper portion 34 of bracket 32 and grille 26, notch 42 fitting around spacer 30, horizontally locking the lower end of screen 40 to grille 26. The grille and screen are then assembled by successively inserting the threaded end of pin 46 through washer 56, aperture 58 in grille 26, hole 44 in screen 40, and washer 60, washer 56 seating on shoulder 50, and washer 60 being located on pin 46 between screen 40 and bore 54. Locking pin 62 which has a greater length than the inside diameter of washer 60, is then inserted through bore 54, locking the grille and screen to pin 46. The assembled grille and screen are then mounted in frame 10 by first inserting their lower edge into said frame 10, the lower portion 36 of bracket 32 extending behind bottom member 16, preventing the forward movement of the lower edge of the grille and screen, corner brackets 24 preventing the rearward movement of the lower edge of the grille and screen through the rear of frame 10. Thus the grille and screen become hinged about their lower edge. The upper portion of the assembled grille and screen are locked to frame 10 by screwing the threaded portion 48 of pin 46 into screw tap 22 in bracket 20, by rotating knob 52, screen 40 seating on corner brackets 24. To remove screen 40 for replacement or cleaning the reverse procedure is followed.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, there is a clearance between the locking pin 62 and the bracket 20. Since the grille 26 is slightly flexible, it deflects slightly as the pin 46 is tightened. This deflection provides a spring load on the pin which prevents the rotation of the pin due to vibration. Moreover, the grille apertures 28 are preferably formed by a stamping process which results in a natural bow of the grille, convex on the extruded side of the apertures. The extruded side of the grille is always placed adjacent to the screen40, the grille slightly deflecting toward a flattened configuration as the pin 46 is tightened,

also providing a spring load on the pin which prevents loosening of the pin due to vibration.

It is to be expressly understood that the present invention is not limited to its present form. Many modifications and alterations may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the present invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A radiator grille and screen assembly comprising: a grille forming a plurality of apertures and having at least one restraining member secured to and extending from one edge on one side, a perforated screen covering said apertures and inserted between said restraining member and said grille, a pin having a shoulder seating against the grille and inserted through a grille aperture and a matching hole in said screen, and detachable locking means for locking the screen onto the pin.

2. A grille and screen assembly comprising: a grille forming a plurality of apertures, a screen covering said apertures and detachably mounted to said grille by means of at least one restraining member at one end of said grille and a detachable pin through the grille and screen near the other end, the grille and screen being detachably mounted within a frame forming an enclosure with substantially the same configuration as said grille and having stops projecting into the enclosure, the screen seating against said stops.

3. A grille and screen assembly comprising: a grille forming a plurality of apertures, a screen covering said apertures and mounted to said grille by means of a restraining member projecting from one end of said grille and a pin having a shoulder seating against the grille the screen seating against said stops.

4. A grille and screen assembly comprising: a grille forming a plurality of apertures, a screen covering sa1d apertures and mounted to said grille by means of a restraining member at one end of said grille and a. pin.

having a shoulder at one end seating against the grille, the other end threaded and inserted through a grille aperture and a matching hole in said screen near the other end, and detachable means for locking the screen onto said pin, the grille and screen being detachably mounted within a frame forming an enclosure having substantially the same configuration as said grille Thy screwing the threaded end of said pin into a tap on a bracket projecting into the frame enclosure, the screen seating against stops also projecting into said enclosure. 5. A vehicle radiator grille and screen assembly comprising: a relatively flat vertical grille forming a plurality of apertures, a screen covering said apertures and mounted flush against the rear of the grille by means of a restraining member extending upwardly from the lower edge of the grille, a pin having a knob and a shoulder at one end seating against the grille, the other end being threaded and inserted through a grille aperture and a matching hole in the screen near the upper end, and detachable means for locking the screen onto said pin, the grille and screen being detachably mounted within a frame forming an enclosure having substantially the same con-figuration as said grille, by screwing the threaded end of said pin into a tap on a bracket projecting into the frame enclosure and by means of a bracket projecting downward from the rear of said grille through a notch in the screen and extending below the lower edge of the grille and seating on the rear of said frame, the screen seating against stops projecting into said enclosure.

6. A vehicle radiator grille and screen assembly comprising: a vertical frame having a bracket attached to the rear of its upper member and projecting into the enclosed area, said bracket having a screw .tap perpendicular to the enclosed area, stops also attached to the rear of said frame and projecting into the enclosed area, said frame enclosing a relatively flat grille having substantially the same configuration as said frame enclosure and forming a plurality of apertures and having a relatively thin spacer affixed to the rear side near the center of its lower edge, a bracket afiixed to the other side of said spacer vertically extending above said spacer and below the lower edge of said grille, the downwardj extending portion of said grille bracket extending behind the lower member of said frame, a screen notched to accommodate said spacer and having substantially the same outward configuration as said grille and detachably mounted between said grille and said grille bracket and locked by means of a pin having a shoulder terminating in a knob atone end and threaded at the other, said shoulder seating against the front of the grille and the threaded end being inserted through the grille and the screen near their upper ends and being screwed into said tapped bracket, and means on the pin between the bracket and screen for detachably locking the screen on the pin.

7. A vehicle radiator grille and screen assembly comprising: a substantially rectangular vertical frame having a bracket attached to the rear of its upper member and projecting into the enclosed area, said bracket having a screw tap perpendicular to the enclosed area, stops also attached to the rear of said frame and projecting into the frame enclosure, said frame enclosing a relatively flat grille having substantially the same configuration as said frame enclosure and forming a plurality of apertures and having a relatively thin spacer affixed to the rear side near the center of its lower edge, a bracket aflixed to the other side of said spacer vertically extending above said spacer and below the lower edge of said grille, the downward extending portion of said grille bracket seating against the rear of the lower member of said frame; a screen notched to accommodate said spacer and having substantially the same outward configuration as said grille and detachably mounted between said grille and the upper portion of said grille bracket and detachably locked to said grille by means of a pin having a shoulder terminating in a knob at one end and threaded at the other, said shoulder seating against the grille and said threaded end being inserted through the grille, the screen near the upper end, and a washer, and being screwed into said tapped bracket, a locking pin longer than the inside diameter of said washer being transversely inserted through the pin between the washer and the bracket, the screen seating against said stops.

7 References Cited by the Examiner CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Primary Examiner.

REINALDO P. MACHADO, HARRISON R. MOSELEY,

Examiners.

P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A RADIATOR GRILLE AND SCREEN ASSEMBLY COMPRISING: A GRILLE FORMING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES AND HAVING AT LEAST ONE RESTRAINING MEMBER SECURED TO AND EXTENDING FROM ONE EDGE ON ONE SIDE, A PERFORATED SCREEN COVERING SAID APERTURES AND INSERTED BETWEEN SAID RESTRAINING MEMBER AND SAID GRILLE, A PIN HAVING A SHOULDER SEATING AGAINST THE GRILLE AND INSERTED THROUGH A GRILLE APERTURE AND A MATCHING HOLE IN SAID SCREEN, AND DETACHABLE LOCKING MEANS FOR LOCKING THE SCREEN ONTO THE PIN. 